Melbourne leans heavily Republican by roughly 44 points: about 28% of voters vote Democratic and 72% Republican.
About 90% of adults in Melbourne typically vote, above the U.S. average of about 62%. Among adults in Melbourne, ~25% vote Democratic, ~65% Republican, and ~10% don't vote. The map below shows estimated turnout by block group.
How Melbourne compares
Among cities within 25 miles, Melbourne leans more Republican than 43 of 55 neighbors.
Melbourne runs about 30 points more Republican than Iowa as a whole.
Why Melbourne leans the way it does
Density, race composition, education, and family structure all sit close to their national averages in Melbourne. The lean here lands roughly where demographic data alone would predict.
Cancer-screening access and voter turnout
Places with high colon-cancer-screening access tend to turn out at a higher rate; Melbourne, IA sits in the top quarter nationally on this measure. Cancer screening does not drive turnout; it reflects income, insurance, and healthcare access.
Why turnout in Melbourne looks the way it does
Areas with strong routine healthcare access turn out at higher rates. Melbourne is in the top quarter nationally for routine-care measures such as insurance coverage, preventive screenings, and dental visits. The dental-visit rate here is about 72%, about 12 points above the U.S. average of 60%. High high-school completion lines up with higher turnout, and about 96% of adults in Melbourne have completed high school, above 87% of cities. Learn more about the findings and methodology on the political spectrum map.
Nearby Cities
- Van Cleve, IA R+47
- Rhodes, IA R+47
- State Center, IA R+41
- LaMoille, IA R+45
- Haverhill, IA R+47
- Baxter, IA R+39
- Laurel, IA R+48
- Collins, IA R+38
- Ferguson, IA R+42
- Marietta, IA R+38
Cities with Similar Populations
- Russell, FL R+48
- Pleasant View Village, IN R+52
- Buffalo Junction, VA R+35
- Camanche North Shore, CA R+45
- Elsah, IL R+32
- Mount Pleasant, FL D+57
- South Waverly, PA R+26
- Seiling, OK R+72
- Wayland, MO R+60
- Milnor, ND R+50
Sources and methodology
Precinct-level voting records used to fit the model come from Iowa Secretary of State, Elections, distributed by the Voting and Election Science Team. Demographic inputs come from the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS 5-year estimates and the 2020 Decennial Census). Health and environmental inputs come from the CDC (PLACES and the Environmental Justice Index). Land cover comes from the USGS and EPA. Election-day and lead-up weather come from PRISM 4km daily grids and the NOAA Global Historical Climatology Network. Mail-voting and election-administration patterns come from the MIT Election Lab's Survey of the Performance of American Elections. Block-group crime detail comes from CrimeGrade. Internet data and modeling support provided by ISPreports.org.
Modeling and analysis by the BestNeighborhood data science team. Full methodology and findings: political spectrum map.
Methodology reviewed by the BestNeighborhood data team. Last updated May 2026.